Lyme Regis - a walk on the beach..

we woke this morning to a beautiful blue sky.. had breakfast and headed off early to Axminster for morning tea and then to Lyme Regis.

the landscape is beautiful here in Devon, like i have mentioned before, those green rolling hills that my childhood stories were made of.. many times I heard them mentioned by my Pa's sisters.

the rain has been torrential the past few days and parts of the southwest have severe weather warnings out.. roads were flooded and fields became lakes.

arriving in Axminster, we had  walk around the streets

before walking to River Cottage Deli & Cafe

I have been a great fan of Hughs but truthfully find the whole River Cottage business a little too commercial. That did not stop me from going in and having a cup of tea. I had drop scones - which are pikelets in Australian.. and they were not as good as the ones I make. but now I have been there and can cross it off my list

we spotted a few men setting up the village Christmas tree... on talking to them, I found out that this was actually the top out of a tree in his garden.. it was a Scottish fir he informed me.. much too big for his garden!

then on to Lyme Regis and as we drove into the seaside village and I spotted the distant ocean. The childhood ditty.. 'I can see the sea!' -  sprang to mind.

for some reason, while walking around this gorgeous seaside village, I had an ache in my heart. I don't know why. Something about it, made me a little sad.

then a walk around the quaint village of Lyme Regis..

this was my favourite shop..

and I couldn't buy a thing in there.. it was all for the garden and mostly made from twigs, driftwood or other natural things.. Australian quarantine being as it is..

the streets are as usual.. all winding up and downhill, back onto themselves and very narrow. and a seaside town with all the usual gift shops, vintage shops and gourmet food shops. shops selling icecreams and fish and chips. lovely to walk around. the rain came, and went and came back again.

then we came to the ocean. it took my breath away. beautiful and so different to ours at home. this was almost soulful.. without the heat and bright sun of Australia, it takes on such a melancholy air, especially with seagulls hovering over and crying their song..

then a walk on the beach..

with shoes on. this felt very odd to me, being use to going barefoot at home when I visit the beach. and walking on all those stones was a very odd sensation. not sure if you could jog along these beaches.

and trying to make sandcastles was even harder.. so I had to be content with just building rock piles.. I took a few stones as mementos..

and Joe found me a heart shaped stone...

the flotsam and jetsam was amazing.. if i lived here, i would be gathering alot to decorate my home. I love natural things that i gather myself... hence the collection of sticks and rocks that adorn my home in Katoomba..

the rain stayed away long enough for us to enjoy lunch beside the sea. No, not on the beach

but on the promenade accompanied by seagulls [which sound different to those at home], pigeons and people.. walking dogs, enjoying the sun.. we even saw one guy laying on the beach sun-baking fully clothed.

and Joe ate his fish and chips & I enjoyed a roast pork and apple roll..

while we watched these crazy people surf.. it was freezing.. blowing wind.. about 6 degrees.

then it started to rain. again. so we headed home after a cup of tea and another scone.. I am beginning to wonder how the heart health is here in England.. if everyone eats the clotted cream all the time, surely it is not good for the heart.. I ignore this thought, as I put lashings of the stuff on top of my scone.
and off back to our cottage.. and now.. it is raining again, still.. and the wind is howling... and people ask me why I came at this time of year... because I wanted a cold Christmas..